Ranking Successfully with Drupal CMS in 2018 and Beyond

There are few things you should do right away if you want to rank Drupal blogs and websites higher on Google search result pages in 2018 and beyond… and they’re simple!

You probably have read countless tutorials online about optimizing websites and blogs using Drupal CMS… there are some really good ones and some really bad ones… This post is going to show students and new users how to and what to do when starting a new Drupal blog or website in 2018 and beyond to rank successfully…

As you may already know, Google is the king of search and what they recommend, you should probably follow and do them… To to rank better, follow Google’s recommended practices…Below are some steps that when taken will better rank in Google search result pages..

So, follow these steps in 2018 to rank successfully…

Step 1: Select a Better Host

There are many web hosts out there and some are better than others… how do you pick a good host and what type of host to select might be the first key…

Drupal has listed a few hosts that you can select from… check this page to see a recommended list selected by Drupal team..

After selecting a host from the list, be sure to select a dedicated host or virtual dedicated hosting type with full SSH and root access… I’d probably not recommend a shared hosting for someone looking to rank better than the rest…

Step 2: Install Drupal with SSL/TLS Certificates

Now that you’ve selected a dedicated / virtual dedicated host, make sure to choose a Ubuntu Linux OS to install on the host… the steps below are documented on a Ubuntu host.

The best Drupal setup for 2018 should be the one below… It shows you how to install Drupal with MariaDB, PHP 7.2 and Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS Certificates..

After installing and activating the plugin, go to Configuration –> Secure Login… then check the box to redirect all pages to secure URL… including all forms

Step 4: Install Recommended Plugins

Now that Drupal is setup, go and install these recommended modules… They will help you rank better with Google search engine… Google is the king of search… so ranking better in Google you’ll probably dominate your competitors.

Step 5: Sign up for Google Analytics and Search Console

Now that you blog is functioning, you probably should signup for Google Analytics and install its tracking code to your pages… It’s a great service and helps you analyze your blog pages and performance…

Google Search Console helps you optimize analyze your pages and provides tips on optimizing them to rank better… Both are free..

Following and implementing the above steps should help you rank better with Google and other search engine providers… there is no magic anyone can do it… moreover, they’re mostly free to use and implement.

So, to rank better, use a good host, install Drupal with SSL/TLS certificates, install AMP plugin and sign up for Google Analytics and Search Console… After that everything will fall in place.